ENCOURAGED IN HEART

A few posts ago, I wrote about consequences for bad behaviors.  I need other tools in my parenting tool box too called REWARDS!

When to reward, what to reward, am I spoiling my kids?  Shouldn’t some things just be expected? Lots o’ questions in this brain of mine!  Yet again,in The Secret Things of God, Dr. Cloud

had an incredible statement that I just had to share with you.  “Research has shown that it is possible to predict the later academic success of five-year-olds by measuring certain character traits over and above IQ.  When they followed five-year-olds long-term into high school and beyond, how smart they were did not predict success as well as their ability to delay gratification! The group that could delay gratification at age five outperformed kids who were smarter than them later on in high school but who lacked that character trait.”(1) Something I want to reward my kids for is waiting patiently…not all the time, but certainly sometimes.  Like, for being particularly kind, thoughtful or respectful. So what are some of the tangible rewards we give out at the Fink household?

• Tatoos…we’re not too skimpy with tatoos in this place!

• Glow sticks (around Cal’s neck) are a cheap crowd pleaser!
• Extra time on the Wii…what a hit that is!
• Read extra books together.
• Stay up after bedtime a tad later.
• Workbooks (below).  Jake’s really into Star Wars gadgets and Cal thinks Ben 10 things are so cool! (Dollar rack at Target to Five Below store help me find some goodies!)

What about you? What do you reward and what are some ways you reward the good stuff in your home?

(1) Henry Cloud, The Secret Things of God Unlocking the Treasures Reserved for You (New York: Howard Books, 2007), 151.

My friend Kimberly just reminded me that the Women of Faith ladies are coming to the Verizon Center in Washington DC from 31 Jul to 1 August 2009 in Washington DC! Link and information are below.  For the ladies that aren’t in DC, click on the link anyway and see where a conference is near you!

Make plans now to be part of the Women of Faith’s 2009 event, A Grand New Day.
This exciting 2-day event is a mix of laughter, music, and stories that
will touch your heart. Bring your friends, family, co-workers,
neighbors—any woman you know who needs a new perspective . . . a new
enthusiasm . . . A Grand New Day.

“The Lord’s love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning . . .” Lamentations 3:22-23 NCV

Join
Steven Curtis Chapman, “American Idol” finalist Mandisa, Nicole C.
Mullen, Sandi Patty, Lisa Whelchel (from TV’s “The Facts of Life”),
Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll, and more!

Over the course of the two-day event you’ll hear fabulous music, watch
stirring drama, listen to hilarious and heart-tugging stories, and join
thousands of women in worship. Events are scheduled across the country.
Don’t wait! Register for A Grand New Day today!

Let’s talk about those budgets, specifically cost saving measures.  Sometimes, all it takes to save some money is one simple phone call.

We use Verizon for our home telephone, TV, and internet service.  Last year, after watching our monthly bills creep up, we called and inquired to see if they had any specials.  Lo and behold, they did.  We “bundled” all three of the above services and also received free unlimited calls inside the US/Canada/Puerto Rico.  Before we bundled, all we had was just bare bones telephone service for local calls and 911 purposes.  All of our long distance calls were accomplished using our cellular phones.  Needless to say, when we were doing that, we had a more expensive cell phone plan because we needed more minutes.  After we “bundled”, we saved money on the telephone/internet/TV cost and additionally, able to get a cheaper cell phone plan.  This equaled even more savings.  Cha Ching!

Recently, we called Verizon again.  We wanted to make sure that our “bundling” wasn’t going to expire and thus drive our costs up.  We renewed the whole shabang for $5 a month in savings.  Hey, $5 bucks is $5 bucks.  The Starbucks fix isn’t going to pay for itself, will it?

Speaking of Starbucks, some people have a habit of visiting their local Starbucks establishment daily.  This becomes expensive quickly.  If you buy your coffee regularly, do a cost analysis.  You’ll see how much it is costing you a month vs buying the coffee grounds and brewing it yourself.  If you must have Starbucks coffee, buy the Starbucks brand at the grocery store and brew it yourself.  You will save a ton of money.  My apologies to those of you who own Starbucks stock.

What kind of cost saving measures have you used?